1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a document administration system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the present specification, a “document” includes a writing, a drawing, a picture and the like, and “document data” means the data of a document. Document data, therefore, includes printable data in general. Document data may have various forms, such as bit data and character codes. Further, “document administration” means administration of document data.
Among various types of image forming apparatuses, in particular, those having functions of a copier, a facsimile machine, a printer, a scanner, and the like, which are known as digital complex machines, there has been known such a type having a function of document administration by storing document data obtained, for example, by reading a document image with a scanner into an internal storage device of the digital complex machine itself or a storage section of a computer communicatively connected with the machine via a network. In storing document data obtained by reading a document image with the scanner of the digital complex machine, it is required to designate a storage site of the document data where the data is to be stored between the internal storage device of the digital complex machine and the storage section of the computer communicatively connected with the machine via the network. The storage sites of respective data are registered in advance in an operating section of the digital complex machine, and thereby, a user is allowed to designate a desired storage site among the pre-registered storage sites.
In case of printing out document data by reading out the data from the digital complex machine, desired document data is read out from the storage device of the digital complex machine, and printed out. In case of printing out document data with use of a computer communicatively connected with the digital complex machine via a network, desired data stored in the storage section of the computer is sent to the digital complex machine and printed out by the digital complex machine.
In case of storing document data obtained by reading a document image with the scanner of the digital complex machine in a relevant folder in the storage section of the computer communicatively connected with the digital complex machine via the network, a user is allowed to store the data in an existing folder with use of a document administration software or an equivalent software for administering document data installed in the computer. However, the user is required to implement two operations, i.e., set and register a folder in the operating section of the digital complex machine, and create a folder in the computer communicatively connected with the digital complex machine via the network. Namely, the user is required to implement substantially the same operation twice, i.e., one time with respect to the digital complex machine, and the other time with respect to the computer.
In case of reading out document data for printing out by the conventional digital complex machine, a user cannot read out the data stored in the storage section of the computer for printing out merely by manipulation on the digital complex machine.
The conventional digital complex machine has suffered from the drawbacks such as cumbersome operations of setting and registering storage sites of data, and limitation on printable document data. There is a demand for a digital complex machine having improved usability in document administration.